━━━━━━。゜✿ฺ✿ฺ゜。━━━━━━
The warm sun grazed my soft skin giving me a tan on either side of my cheeks and my legs, I was laying out on my porch with my AirPods in trying to get out of my head. My bed was too enchanting but I was getting better at distracting myself for example musics blasting in my ears and some Vitamin D.
I hummed along to the music but go startled by a finger tapping my shoulder. I swore I jumped out of my skin, hovered over my body and felt myself being sucked back inside. "Holy shit," I gasped. I take in the curly headed girl in front of me. "You scared me Kie." I mumble, scooting up on my lawn chair.
She cracks a shy smile and takes a seat on the edge of my chair. "Sorry. " she murmurs. I take my AirPods out and fidget with them in my lap, "So uh-what are you doing here?" I wonder. I hadn't seen her in awhile but I was happy too, I was meaning to apologize for that day.
She sits in silence for a second before breaking the tension. "I was gonna lie... and say I just wanted to check up on you but i heard something and needed to know if it was true." she admits, my eyes snap up towards the side of her face and my eyebrows cure into confusion but from her expression I knew.
I clear my throat. "Who told you?"
"JJ told Pope and Pope told me," She answers glancing towards me, "so it is true?" Her face twists into concern and I nod slowly not trusting my voice. within seconds she wrapped her arms around me, I stood frozen for a second before melting into her hug, laying my head on her shoulder and for some reason it felt like what I needed she didn't say anything but the silence spoke millions.
I close my eyes and my vision gets clouded with a picture of JJ and I swimming in the beach together, i couldn't watch anymore so I blinked the memory away and drew back.
"Thank you Kie for showing up." I say, she crosses her legs over the chair, now sitting directly in front of me.
"Come on.over the years of are petty arguments you think that one would push me away." She chuckles, and I crack a smile. "I was a huge bitch so I wouldn't of been surprised."
"I won't argue with that."
I arch my brow with a scoff and laugh, back to same old friendship. when our laughter settles down she looks back over to me with a softer expression. "What happened, did he—"
"He didn't do anything." I cut her off. Kie raises her eyebrows confused. "It's all still confusing." I say. I thought back recalling the moments that lead here. "We got into this stupid ass argument I had just been crying missing Bee and then the next day I was going to apologize but he came and broke up with me and if I didn't catch him he was going to do it in with a...letter." I explain with a sigh and tears in my eyes.
"He's such a dick." she mutters, i sniffle back tears. "Did he say anything? Like why he did it?" She asks.
"No, just that I needed to forget about him and he asked me.. If I ever thought this would work?" I said in a questioning tone.
Kies eyebrows go up and I see her putting peices of something together in her head. "What?"
"You said you and JJ got into an argument a few days before?" I nod my head slowly trying to figure out what she was getting at.
"He's doing what JJ does." She mutters slowly and then it clicks for me. he was so scared of getting hurt that he pushed me away, oh my God how could I not of seen it. "He broke up with me before I could break up with him..." I mumble to her. Of course it all made sense every person that loved him or even showed him the slightest attention has left him or gives him this false hope of love and now i understand he thought I was going to leave him.
"How did I not notice. i was so caught up in my own shit that I forget all about what he was going through, what you all were going through. you guys lost them too." I said softly, "I'm sorry."
She shakes her head. "How could you have, your brother had just gone missing. We all understand Andie. Just Promise you won't keep secrets from the crew anymore?" I nod my head, "it was the worst not talking to you guys." I chuckle. "you wouldn't believe what I did." I said referring to my night at Rafes beach house.
She put up her finger stopping me from talking and sat on the other chair getting comfortable. "Okay begin." She told me after fixing herself.
I let out a small chuckle, "I ran into a few people yesterday and somehow landed at a party where I got shit faced drunk and in the process almost stripped teased for half the college student body." I confessed. Kies hand slaps over her mouth to suppress a laugh. "It's not funny!" I wine, she bopped her head. "Sorry—sorry. I'm serous." She said in a deep voice, trying to sound stufisticated.
I lick my lips, sighing. "guess who's beach house it was?" I grimace, She thinks back for a second and I literally watch her unfold the pieces in her head. "No!"
"Yes." I groan, shaking my head ashamed. "Rafe fucking Cameron."
"I thought we hated rafe."
"We do, or at least I did. I don't know, its complicated. I hate what he's become but it's hard to forget who he used to be Kie."
She nods along, listening intently. "what happened after that?"
"He carried me up and I slept in his.. bed" I admitted, leaving her with a gaped mouth.
"In his bed!" I twisted my around and shushed her, "say it louder I don't think the president heard you!"
She sat up, "Sorry sorry but I want details."
"there's not much to tell, we had a conversation I barely remember and then I fell asleep and slept on the floor, and in the morning we talked and I got the clarity I needed." I inform her.
"And that is?"
I threw up my hand in a dismissed manner. "That I'm still in love with JJ" I sighed sadly. she grabs a hold of my hand and sends me a look. "you should talk to him." Kie states. "He still love you and wants to be with you."
"How do you know that Kie. He broke up with me."
"Just trust me. He does." She said firmly, but something about the way she said it that rose my suspension. "Kie... your not telling me something." I state, she liked to forget that I'm her best friend.
the older girl shakes her head but behind those eyes i could tell there was a lie. "tell me!" I begged.
She stayed serous but my eyes drew into her and she gives in. "Ugh, Fine. Okay but you can't tell anyone I told you because I promised to not tell you." She confessed, my stomach was officially in notts, shaking my head rapidly. "okay okay. Tell me."
"JJ, he's not doing good. He got fired from his summer job."
My mouth slakes. "why?"
She stares at me conflicted but when I sent her a look she spoke up. "Kielce he made a joke. Called you the towns murdered, said you orchestrated the whole thing." She informs me, making my stomach twist, I pulled up my knees to my chest. "Wow, he's such an asshole"
She nods her head agreeing with me but still I didn't know why he got fired. "JJ decided to dump water all down kelces shirt and yelled at him in front of everybody.. and"
I stare at her bewildered, "there's a and?"
She nods hesitantly. "And punched him." She finishes. I tried not to see happy about the situation given he lost his job trying to stick up for me but he lost his job sticking up for me.
I cracked a small smile with a nod, "I'll talk to him."
She claps her hands with a grin playing on her lips. "Good, enough about him tho.. did you forget what tomorrow is?"
My calm expression slips and i start trying to remember what I had missed, her birthday? No, that was in December, friend anniversary, nope that wasn't until a few more months. I tugged my lip cringing. "em, no?" I said in a high pitched tone.
She huffed grabbing her phone from her lap and pushing it in front of my face and I read the date, August 20th?
Holy crap, it was august 20th.
My eyes trail up to hers and my mouth was slightly ajar. How could I forget my own birthday, "my birthdays tomorrow" I breath out. she smiling at first, then when my shocked expression turned into wallow it faltered.
"Hey, John B wouldn't want you to get sad on your own birthday. Come on, we'll do something together tomorrow." She tried to chear me up. I flash her a quick smile and nod. "Thanks Kie." I said gratefully.
—
I twisted my body over, my eyes weren't open but I could tell it was still early so I intended on sleeping in to at least eleven but when a blaring noise interrupts my peaceful sleep.
I jump awake looking all around until I find the culprit in the middle of the room holding noise machines. "Kie! It is too early." She ignores my complaining and clicks on the tv and music start to play. "It's your birthday!" She exclaims, running over it me and picking up my hands and wiggling my arms.
I look up to her amused but still was blinking my eyes tiredly, "No! no! Don't go to bed, we have a day of super fun activities!"
"When did you become preppy." I groan trying to lay my head back down but her hand stopped me. "You are officially seventeen so that means shopping, okay. So you need to go get dressed!" She tells me, i frown as she picks me up.
"Ten more minutes!" I begged. She shakes her head and pushed me down the hall of my bedroom. "Go get dressed, meet you in the car in ten!"
This was gonna be a long day.
—
I stare at the big sign in front of the small boutique. "Don't look at me like that, it's cute in there." Kie comments, Kie had somehow dragged me into town, Pope was supposed to go but got called into work by his dad and I wasn't about to argue with Mr. Hayward I think I was the only one he somewhat liked.
"Cute like pink bows cute? because if so we have different definition of cute."
She rolls her eyes at me and takes my hand. "Stop being dramatic and come on," she demands. She drags me behind her and I follow. I took a few glanced around the four walls of the store and I was surprised to see it looked intriguing in there.
"Not too bad, huh?"
I looked at the shelf of sunglasses and Kie and I both tested them out. She spun around with thick SpongeBob glasses on the top of her nose, I threw my head back into a fit of laughter. "I love those! Please buy!" I begged, she chuckled peeling them off from her eyes and putting them back into the holder.
"Absolutely not." She replied, passing me a pair. "try these." I took them from her and looked back in the mirror at my reflection smiling. not too bad. Kie helped me straighten my hair and I actually did my makeup today so I wasn't wearing my normal baggy sweat pants look.
"You look great!" Kie squealed, "Okay. Birthday outfit, what are we looking for?" She ponders wondering her eyes around the store.
"Cute and casual. Nothing over the top."
She frowns, "Andie. You only turn seventeen once."
"Your lucky you got me out the house." I reply. She purses her lips and nods. "I'm choosing my battles." She murmurs making me laugh. she grabs my arms and twirls me to the outfits, she points to a blue flower printed top that tied around the neck and light blue Jean shorts .
"Looks cute and causal." She wiggles her eyebrows, using my own words and snatching it from the rak.
"try it on." She demands. I look at her face with a blank expression, "hey. You agreed." She pushed it further in my face.
I sighed, remembering what I agreed to do last night. Drunk me needs to shut up sometimes. "...Fine" I dragged out my words and headed into the changing room. I got inside and closed the door behind me and started to change into the new outfit, I rolled it over my thighs and and then tugged on my shirt.
I smiled at myself satisfied with the reflection in my mirror, Today reminded me a lot like when Kie and I went shopping for midsummers. Midsummers and JJ. Speaking of JJ i picked up my phone and checked my latest notifications and I couldn't help but feel defeated when I didn't see his name.
"Andie." A knock sounded from my door, swiftly turned and unlocked it revealing Kie. "What's wrong" she asks reading my face. I shake my head No and smile tightly. "Nothing."
"Andie."
I shrug, "just missing my brother and JJ."
She sends me a look of Sorry, "I know." She says sympathetically. "But John B woudnt want you to be upset on your birthday."
I nod, she was right. So I inhaled a sharp breath and exhaled all my negative thoughts and replaced it with a smile and faced the mirror. "Is this the birthday outfit?"
I shake my head back and forth."yup." She smiled and takes my hand and pulls me out.
"I'll be buying this whole outfit." she informs the sales women's.
"Kie I can't let you do that."
She waved me off dismissively, "count it as your birthday gift." She winks, placing the money down on the counter. I smiled appreciatively. "Thanks Kie, I'm gonna go get my clothes."
After I met Kie at the door and waved by too the nice women. "Okay. I have one last stop." Kiara said with a big smile on her face. I sent her a look. "You've done enough Kie."
She glanced at the door and smiled wider. "Look where already here." I follow her eyes to the Starbucks door and chuckle. "I feel like this is more for you then me." I mumble as I walk in beside her.
"I'll order. you sit." She tells me. I oblige and wait until she comes back.
"Thanks Kie." I say to her, "You already said that."
I look at her with a serous expression. "No I mean all of it. Even when I was a bitch too you, you didn't just leave. You stayed and that's more then a lot of people, So thank you."
She cracked a smile and reached over and takes my hand. "John B would be proud of you Andie. For being strong enough to do this."
I let out a shaky breath and smile down to my lap.
"Kiara and Andie!" A male voice calls, I sit up from my seat and sniffle slighlty. "I'll go get it."
I stood from my seat and headed for the counter, the teenage boy smiles at me and I polity smile back and grab the Starbucks from his hands. "Thank you." I call over my shoulder.
On my way back I fiddled with the recipient and noticed a phone number written in sharpie on the side with a small smiley face in the corner. My eyebrows furrowed, "what happened?" Kie asks. I rip the paper off and flash it too her, she gives me the same facial expression.
without a second thought i crincked the recipient. "Come on, let's go." I tell her. She stands to her feet and on our way out I toss the number into the trash. "Won't be needing that." I said sharing a laugh with her.
—-
Hey guys, I'm sorry I haven't been so active and posting chapters I've been going through something recently and haven't really had the time or energy I'm gonna try to post another chapter this week. Hope you liked this one tho :)